We are now into the final stretch of the Tokyo Paralympics and Thursday will see medals awarded in eight disciplines. Below are the Mena talent to follow including several UAE athletes and medal hopefuls.
Athletics
Olympic Stadium
Guaranteed Mena medals in what promises to be a nail-biting final of the T12 400m. Brimming with confidence from his 1500m silver medal win on Tuesday, Rouay Jebabli from Tunisia will undoubtedly be wanting to add to his haul. Two Moroccans, Rio 2016 silver-medalist Mahdi Afri and world record-holder Abdeslam Hili, will be racing for gold too.
Yemen’s only female para-athlete Belqes Ahmed Taresh will be competing in the final of the women’s F56 shot-put. Algerian duo Nadia Medjmedj and Safia Djelal will certainly be among the contenders for a podium place.
In the 400m final of the men’s T13 class, all eyes will be on world-record holder and champion from Rio, Mohamed Amguoun from Morocco. He is the only athlete in the field to have run under 47 seconds. However, it’s worth keeping tabs on Algerian Skander Athman, the 100m silver medalist is the only runner to run under 48 seconds this year.
In the men’s F11 discus final, Iran’s Mahdi Olad is expected to medal and will need to produce something extra special to challenge Brazilian Alessandro da Silva. Olad’s compatriot Nourmohammad Arekhi will be hoping to make his mark on his Paralympic debut.
UAE’s Sara Al Senani is among the finalists in women's seated shot put, F33 class. Paralympic champion and record-holder Asmahane Boudjadar from Algeria will have some tough competition particularly from Fouzia El Kassioui from Morocco. Look out too for Qatar’s only female representative at the games, Sara Masoud.
Seyed Javanmardi of Iran is among one of the favourites to medal in the F35 standing shot put final. Look out too for Ali Pirouj, also from Iran taking part in the final of the F13 standing javelin final shortly after.
Badminton
Yoyogi National Stadium
Egyptian Eldakrory is up against Taiyo Imai from the host nation while Israel’s Nina Gorodetzky faces Sujirat Pookkham of Thailand and then Cynthia Mathez in group play matches.
Canoe Sprint
Sea Forest Waterway
Shahla Behrouzirad of and Eslam Jahedi of Iran will be racing in their respective heats. Behrouziad in the women’s kayak single 200m KL3 class, and Jahedi in the men’s single 200m VL2 class.
Israel’s Pascale Bercovitch will be paddling for a place in the final of the women’s kayak single 200m KL2 class.
Cycling Road
Fuji International Speedway
UAE’s Ahmad Al Mansoori will be racing in the final of the men’s C1-3 road race. Look out too for Rio 2016 triathlon bronze-medalist Mohamed Lahna of Morocco.
Football 5-a-side
Aomi Urban Sports Park
Morocco have made it through to the semi-finals for the first time, where they face four-time champions Brazil.
Sitting Volleyball
Makuhari Messe
Iran’s men face Bosnia Herzegovina in the semi-finals, in a repeat of the 2016 final.
Swimming
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Egyptians Ayaallah Tewfick and Youssef El Sayed will be swimming for a place in the final for the women’s 400m freestyle - S6 class and men’s 50m freestyle S1, respectively.
Israelis once again pushing for medals with Yuliya Gordiychuk, Ariel Malyar and Ami Dadaon all racing for final places.
Taekwondo
Makuhari Messe
Afghanistan’s first-ever female paralympian, Zakia Khudadadi will open the women’s K44 class -49kg with her match against Ziyadakhon Isakova of Uzbekistan. Morocco’s Soukaina Es-Sabbar starts her tournament against Anna Poddubskaia of the Russian Paralympic Committee.
Look out too for Mohamed El Zayat of Egypt who is taking on Alejandro Vidal Alvarez of Spain in the men’s K44 -61kg.
Wheelchair Basketball
Ariake Arena
Iran take on South Korea in the men’s 9/10 place play-off.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Meydan Racecourse racecard:
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes Listed (PA) | Dh175,000 | 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden for 2-year-old fillies (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: The Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 1,600m
8.15pm: Maiden for 2-year-old colts (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,600m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,600m.
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
